Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'Need of quality education' that was published in Newsband

Need of quality education

There are many schools in India which cannot meet the demand for professionally qualified teachers. Moreover, there are many teachers in the country who do not have the necessary training to perform their role. Hence there is a steady decline in student performance in key areas such as reading, comprehension and arithmetic, although enrolment rates remain high. Failure to upgrade the capabilities of school teachers in rural areas need to be overcome. If this is not done students will be the sufferers.

During a survey, it was found that some students in rural area who were in class five could not read a text intended for those in class two. There were some students who were unable to do simple arithmetic problems involving subtraction and division commensurate with their level of education. Many students found sums relating to division most difficult to solve. 

If students in rural India are doing badly, there are other worrying trends too. The Centre should assume responsibility to provide good schooling and deploy the massive funds collected through the education cess to achieve encouraging outcomes. The norms laid down under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, particularly on teacher-student ratios should be implemented, and the quality of in-service training for teachers should be enhanced. Physical infrastructure is also a determinant of the overall schooling experience.

During the survey it was found that in many schools there were indeed separate toilets for girls, but only half of the facilities were in a usable condition. Some schools were found not providing a mid-day meal, removing a key incentive for students. One is under the impression that only the students in urban areas are sent for tuitions. The survey revealed that rural students are also not spared the need to attend private tuitions to improve their prospects. This is clear evidence that the government is making hardly any effort to improve educational quality, and student expectations.

The government should urgently focus on providing better quality of education to create a skilled workforce.